SMART Clark Giga City - Scottie Thompson is not about to write off TnT Tropang Giga despite Barangay Ginebra taking a 2-0 series lead in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
The fifth-year guard noted how Roger Pogoy answered the call and came out on fire for TnT in Game 2 of the title duel, which the Kings won, 92-90, on Wednesday night.
Pogoy blazed the trail for the Tropang Giga with 38 points including a 5-of-9 shooting from three-point range as he picked up the slack for the absence of injured guard Ray Parks Jr.
So despite the Kings moving just two wins away from claiming their first All-Filipino championship in 13 years, Thompson tempered expectations of an easy path to the top for the league's crowd darling.
"Lights out si Pogoy (sa Game 2). So tingnan natin kung ano ang magiging adjustment namin sa kanya sa defense," the Ginebra guard said.
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That Parks, down with a strained left calf, could be back in the active roster by Friday's Game 3 will also be another concern for the top seeded ballclub.
"So mas tough game (talaga) sa Game 3," said the former University of Perpetual Help ace.
"Siyempre hindi yan basta-basta ibibigay ng TnT. Kailangan paghihirapan namin every game."
That's what exactly the Kings had to overcome in the first two games of the series.
They won Game 1 in overtime, 100-94, and then repeated the next game despite three of their starters in Thompson, LA Tenorio, and Japeth Aguilar struggling with the shooting from the field.
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Ginebra trailed for the most part of Game 2 and didn't really took control until the final 30 seconds when Thompson scored his only points for the game - a dagger three-pointer that gave the Kings the lead for good, 87-85.
"Wala na rin naman akong ibang gagawin kung di itira ko na, e," he said of his timely basket. "Minalas nga sa una talaga, buti sa huli na-open and then tinira ko lang. Na-shoot naman. So good thing sa amin." (RG)
